U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,196 describes a stamping and forming machine for performing operations on strip material, which has opposed ram blocks that move towards and away from each other along horizontal paths of reciprocation. The strip material is fed along a strip feed path which extends between the ram assemblies. The ram blocks are reciprocated by levers that are pivoted at their ends and which oscillate along arcuate paths.
The couplings between the ram blocks, which reciprocate along straight line paths, and the levers which oscillate along arcuate paths, must be such that the vertical movement of the levers is accommodated during operation of the machine. In the past, the levers have been coupled to the ram blocks by ball and socket joints. These ball and socket couplings have in general proved satisfactory excepting for the fact that they tend to wear out and require replacement at intervals which are more frequent than would be desirable. The present invention is directed to the achievement of an improved coupling for a stamping and forming machine of the type described above which will have a significantly longer life than the ball and socket couplings which have been used previously.